COLUMBIA, S.C. – No. 17/20 Mizzou Softball (28-7, 6-3 SEC) utilized in a nine-run second inning to sweep South Carolina (17-13, 0-9 SEC) with a 10-6 victory.
The Gamecocks took the lead in the first inning on a two-run homer run to left, but the Tigers were able to respond quickly.
In the top of the second, Cayla Kessinger led off the inning with a solo blast to right for her seventh home run of the season and 29th of her career. Kendyll Bailey followed that up with a double down the left field line and Emma Raabe brought her in on a double off the right field wall to tie the game at two runs apiece.
Abby George then slapped a double down the left field line for the first extra-base hit of her career. Raabe was only able to make it to third on the double. Brooke Wilmes then doubled down the right field line, bringing both George and Raabe home.
Jenna Laird then smoked a single into left center to put runners on the corners for the Tigers. After Laird stole second, Hatti Moore grounded a ball to the pitcher and a throwing error allowed Wilmes to come home from third, putting the score at 5-2 for Mizzou.
Kimberly Wert then drove a double into left-center, scoring Jenna Laird from third. Casidy Chaumont got in on the action as well with a double of her own to right-center, scoring both Moore and Wert and putting the score at 8-2 for the Tigers, still with no outs in the top of the second.
With two outs in the inning and Chaumont on third, Emma Raabe ripped a single off the pitcher’s glove to bring in the ninth run of the inning.
After a scoreless bottom-half of the inning, Mizzou was able to tack on another run with a Cayla Kessinger bases-loaded walk, giving the Tigers their 10th run of the game.
TURNING POINT
South Carolina was able to threaten in the bottom of the third. The Gamecocks loaded the bases with no outs. A hard ground ball to shortstop Jenna Laird turned into a 6-4-3 double play, but one run scored for Carolina to make it 10-3.
After a scoreless fourth, Carolina was able to get back on the board in the fifth. With two outs and a runner on first, Drotar lifted a ball off the center field wall for a single that scored the runner all the way from first.
In the final frame, South Carolina was able to turn up the pressure, again loading the bases. Another Drotar single brought home one run and a groundout to first brought in another, putting the score at 10-6 with two outs. Emma Nichols was able to get the final batter to ground out and earn the save.
TOP TIGERS
Cayla Kessinger got the scoring started in the second and third innings for Mizzou. The redshirt-senior led off the second with a solo blast to left, and she brought in the sole run in the third with a bases-loaded walk.
Casidy Chaumont went 2-for-4 at the plate with a double and two runs batted in.
Emma Raabe also went 2-for-4 with a run scored, while adding an RBI double and an RBI single.
NOTES
Each Tiger in the lineup earned a hit in the contest. Mizzou had seven players smash an extra-base hit on the day, all of which came in the second inning. The Tigers smacked four-consecutive doubles (Bailey-Raabe-George-Wilmes) in the second.
The Tigers earned their first SEC series-sweep of the season.
Abby George smacked her first-career extra-base hit in the second inning.
Mizzou tied their single-game doubles record with six.
UP NEXT
Mizzou will take on LSU in a three-game series beginning Friday at Mizzou Softball Stadium.
